Israel, with a population that has increased from 800,000 in 1948 to 5.6
million today, is the only developed country in the world in which
population continues to grow against a backdrop of population density. In
fact, according to Israel's master plan for the 21st century, Israel, in the
area north of Be'er Sheva (where 92% of the population is concentrated),
will be the most densely populated country in the world within thirty years
- if present trends continue. The master plan anticipates that by the year
2020, the country's population will exceed 8 million, its built-up space
will treble, and the number of cars on its roads will increase three-fold,
reaching 3.6 million. Without wise planning, the Israel of tomorrow may well
resemble a never-ending field of asphalt and concrete, its air polluted, its
groundwater contaminated, its serenity disturbed by traffic noise and
pollution. But a different vision is also possible.
Historical Overview
In the 25-year period following its independence in 1948, Israel accorded
high priority to intensive development programs: new towns were built,
modern agricultural programs were introduced, water sources were tapped and
roads and airports were constructed. The rapid growth rate of population,
industry and agriculture led to environmental degradation, which was further
aggravated by the concentration of most industrial and urban activities
along the narrow coastal strip, where meteorological conditions are
unfavorable to pollution dispersal and where Israel's major aquifer is
located.
After the establishment of Israel's first environmental government body in
1973, an environment management program based on cooperation and integration
between environmental protection and economic development was formulated.
Given the rapid rate of development, the focus of environmental policy has
always been on preventive measures. Over the years, efforts have been
concentrated on incorporating environmental considerations into the
decision-making processes of all economic sectors. This trend is being
reinforced in the wake of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (Earth Summit). Today, Israel is taking its first steps
toward the preparation of a national strategy on sustainable
development--development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Nature Conservation
In juxtaposition to its small land area, Israel is characterized by a wide
range of physical conditions and a rich variety of flora and fauna. This
diversity is ascribed to the country's topographic structure and its
location at the crossroads of three continents and the junction of different
climatic and botanical regions. Some 2,600 plant species (150 of which are
indigenous to Israel), as well as 8 amphibian, 90 reptile, 450 bird and 70
mammal species are found in Israel. Therefore, it is not surprising that the
nature conservation movement preceded organized environmental activity by
over a decade. Stringent laws for the protection of natural habitats,
natural assets, wildlife and sites of scientific and educational interest
have been enacted and are stringently enforced.
While awareness of the importance of nature conservation has led to the
emergence of a significant system of nature reserves (155 nature reserves
spanning 3500 square kilometers - 1350 sq. m. - have been declared) and
national parks, the small size of the country and the heavy pressures on its
limited land resources have left few open space reserves. In order to secure
the biodiversity and the visual resources of the country, Israel's green
organizations have launched a major campaign on behalf of the preservation
of Israel's open space landscapes in the face of development pressures. As
part of the effort, the country's entire open landscape is being assessed
and classified in accordance with such criteria as uniqueness, biodiversity
and potential for sustainability. Recommendations are then made for
appropriate levels of protection and/or development for each landscape unit.
First priority is being accorded to the preservation of scarce open
landscapes in the central part of the country, where every vacant bit of
land is under immediate threat. Hopefully, Israel's recent ratification of
the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitats (the Ramsar
Convention) will further advance biodiversity and natural landscape
conservation.
Water Quality
Indubitably, under conditions of water scarcity, on the one hand, and
intensive development and population growth, on the other hand, the
degradation of water quality may well be the most critical environmental
problem facing Israel today. Water resource development and consumption have
grown rapidly since the establishment of the State of Israel so that today
all feasible resources are exploited.
About two-thirds of Israel's population and a major portion of its industry
and agriculture are concentrated in the region overlying the coastal
aquifer, which has been increasingly threatened by contamination from
chemical and microbial pollutants, salination, nitrates, heavy metals, fuels
and toxic organic compounds. Over the past 25 years, average chloride
concentrations have increased from 110 mg/liter to 150 mg/liter, and it is
anti-cipated that within 25 years, over half the wells in this region will
exceed permitted salinity levels. Nitrate concentrations have increased
concomitantly due to intensive use of fertilizers in agriculture and the use
of treated effluents for irrigation.
The combination of severe water shortage, contamination of water resources,
densely-populated urban areas and highly intensive irrigated agriculture,
makes it essential for Israel to increase its development and use of treated
wastewater, brackish water and water harvesting (collection, storage and use
of storm runoff). At present, effluents constitute the most readily
available and cheapest source of additional water. Israel is already a world
leader in recycling wastewater with nearly 70% of the wastewater treated and
reused for agricultural purposes, mainly for the irrigation of non-food
crops and animal fodder in accordance with stringent permits issued by the
Ministry of Health.
While water scarcity and groundwater contamination remain major problems,
there is no doubt that effective water quality management can be achieved,
as witnessed by the case of the Sea of Galilee. As a result of a
comprehensive and integrated program of research, administration and
planning, overall water quality in the lake has not deteriorated and
eutrophication has not occurred over the past twenty years despite
substantial growth in population, tourism, industry and agricultural
development in the area. In recent years, similar management practices have
been applied to Israel's ailing rivers which have either dried up or become
sewage conduits as a result of industrial discharge, municipal sewage,
overpumping or just general abuse. Today, several of Israel's most polluted
rivers are undergoing a transformation from sewage carriers into channels of
life. Cleanup and rehabilitation programs have already been initiated for
such polluted rivers as the Harod, Alexander, Yarkon, Kishon and Lachish
rivers. The success of the rehabilitation scheme is largely dependent on the
success of sewage treatment programs which are currently being implemented.
Effluent regulations, promulgated in 1993, require secondary treatment to a
level of 20 mg/liter BOD and 30 mg/liter suspended solids as a minimum
baseline level. Higher degrees of treatment, including nutrient removal and
disinfection, are required if effluents are to be discharged into rivers.
Air Quality
In Israel, as elsewhere in the world, rapid technological development,
improvement in standards of living and increased population density have
brought in their wake pollutant emissions from both stationary and mobile
sources. Israel's specific conditions concentration of population and
industry in the coastal area, small land area, variety of natural assets and
singular geological, topographical and climatic features aggravate the
problems of air pollution. The rapid emergence of industrial plants in the
vicinity of urban centers coupled by a dramatic increase in the number of
motor vehicles has exacerbated air pollution problems throughout the
country.
National estimates of air pollutant emissions have shown that with the
exception of three pollutants sulfur oxides, total particulate matter and
lead emissions of all pollutants have increased drastically since 1980. On
the positive side, results show that despite continuous increases in the
total national energy requirement, total sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have
been reduced significantly. This is generally attributed to the shift from
use of high-sulfur residual oil to low-sulfur coal in Haifa and Ashdod's
power plants in the 1980s and the reduction in the average sulfur content of
heavy residual oil in the 1990s. Present SO2 control for Israel's oil-fired
power plants is based on tall stacks (250 meters) and on a switch to
low-sulfur fuel when mandated by an intermittent control system during
meteorological conditions unfavorable for the dispersion of pollutants. As a
result of these improvements, the ratio of SO2 emission to electricity
production has decreased to less than half of its 1981 value. Similarly,
reductions in suspended particulate matter emissions have occurred largely
as a result of the installation of high-efficiency electrostatic
precipitators in Israel's coal-powered stations.
On the down side, the sharp rises in carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
hydrocarbon emissions are attributed to the dramatic increase in the number
of motor vehicles traveling Israel's roads, a fourfold increase over the
past two decades. Without doubt, the major challenge in coming years will be
to significantly reduce pollution from vehicular sources. Transportation
sources are responsible for a lion's share of the country's carbon monoxide
pollution and for a substantial percentage of the concentrations of lead,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and particulates in the environment. With the
exception of lead, concentrations of all these pollutants have risen
dramatically over the past decade. Lead concentrations have decreased
following the reduction in the lead content of gasoline and the introduction
of lead-free gasoline.
Several steps have been taken to abate the vehicular pollution problem;
others are planned. Most importantly, all new cars imported in to the
country, beginning with 1995 models, must be equipped with catalytic
converters and concomitantly, unleaded gasoline is being increasingly used.
Since vehicles equipped with catalytic converters emit only a tenth of the
pollution discharged from regular vehicles, the increased presence of these
cars should bring about a real reduction in vehicular emissions. Additional
solutions currently being considered include emission standards, more
effective inspection and supervision systems, restrictions on private cars
in city centers and, perhaps most importantly, better mass transportation
systems. Unless the transportation network is significantly improved,
congestion, with its attendant ills of noise and air pollution, will soon
become unbearable.
Since the availability of nationwide data on air quality is a prerequisite
for the formulation of a comprehensive national air quality management
program, Israel has approved the development of a multi-million dollar
national air monitoring system to complement the 63 air monitoring stations
currently in operation throughout the country. The system will include
individual stations, regional control centers and a national data processing
and display center. First priority will be granted to the congested Tel Aviv
metropolitan area.
Finally, on the international front, efforts are being invested in
implementing the provisions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Climate Change Convention. Although Israel
is a small contributor to such global trends, it has ratified both
conventions and takes an active part in international and regional efforts
in these areas.
Solid Waste
Still another grave problem in a country with meager land resources and an
ever-increasing population is solid waste disposal. Each person in Israel
produces about 1.7 kilograms of solid waste a day. The total quantity of
municipal waste in Israel, including yard waste and industrial waste,
reaches 12,000 tons per day. Another 5,000 tons of solid waste, including
construction debris, are produced daily.
Until recently, hundreds of garbage dumps were spread throughout the
country. Most were poorly designed and managed and many were about to reach
full capacity with no alternative in sight. Continuous delays in the
approval process for new landfills, many a result of the NIMBY (Not in My
Back Yard) Syndrome, had left about two-thirds of Israel's population
without a comprehensive solution to the problem of solid waste disposal.
Today, the outlook is brighter: several factors have combined to
dramatically improve Israel's solid waste disposal problem. A landmark
decision by the government has dictated the closure of all illegal landfill
sites and the transfer of the waste to a few authorized central landfills,
slated to serve the majority of the country's population within a few years.
Half the sites have already been shut down, and plans are proceeding for the
construction of state-of-the-art landfills which fully comply with the most
stringent environmental requirements. On the legal front, environmental
regulations designed to prevent air and olfactory pollution are being
promulgated and enforced. Indictments of operators of improperly run solid
waste sites have resulted in court sentences carrying stiff fines, and in
many cases, legal proceedings have led to the closure of polluting
landfills.
If present rates of growth continue (5.5% per year), a fourfold increase in
municipal and industrial waste is expected by the year 2020. Reduction,
reuse and recycling are therefore imperative in order to reduce these
growing quantities of waste. Today's policy calls for a shift from
landfilling to integrated treatment of solid waste based on reduction at
source, reuse, recycling, incineration and landfilling. Today, about 18% of
the total amount of municipal and industrial waste is recycled, of which
about 50% constitutes post-consumer recycling.
Hazardous Substances
Finally, safe management of hazardous substances is one of Israel's most
pressing environmental concerns. Israel has thousands of plants which
produce, use, store and transport about a million tons of hazardous
materials, excluding fuels. An accident or mishap can bring catastrophic
results, both in terms of human life and environmental damage. In recent
years, a contingency plan for the integrated organization and operation of
all bodies taking part in hazardous substances accidents was formulated and
implemented. As a result, Israel's emergency response teams have undergone
comprehensive training and have equipped themselves with specially
designated vehicles, protective gear and sophisticated detection and
identification instruments. In addition, an Information and Response Center
for Hazardous Substances has been set up both to collect quantitative and
qualitative data on hazardous substances and to serve as a focal point of
response during hazardous substances incidents - providing essential
information, support and coordination services.
Management of hazardous substances is regulated through a permit system for
any commercial activity involving hazardous materials. Industrial plants
handling hazardous substances are required to undertake all necessary
measures to treat these materials according to the best available
technology. Hazardous wastes must be disposed at the central site for the
disposal and treatment of hazardous waste in Ramat Hovav, about 17
kilometers south of Be'er Sheva in the Negev. Disposal elsewhere, for
purposes of recycling, reuse or other treatment, must be approved in advance
by the competent environmental agency. Israel's central site for hazardous
waste includes various plants for neutralization and detoxification as well
as evaporation ponds and burial sites in which to bury solid wastes - all
built in accordance with the US standards for such burial of wastes. A
state-of-the-art incinerator, capable of burning about 15,000 tons of
organic materials per year, is currently being completed. The aim is to
supervise hazardous substances from "cradle to grave" and to implement the
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and their Disposal which has been ratified by Israel.
Conclusion
Israel believes that sustainable development can be achieved, that
environmental degradation can be arrested and that damaged areas can be
restored. However, the realization of these goals depends on cooperation at
all levels of government and society.
As Israel enters a new era of peace, environmental concerns are gaining new
priority, internationally, nationally and regionally. Thus, for example,
mutual concern over the fate of the Gulf of Aqaba has led to an ambitious
action program of cooperation between Jordan, Israel and Egypt. All three
countries have committed themselves to set up oil-spill combating centers
and to establish and implement a regional contingency plan for the
protection of this unique but sensitive region. In yet another development,
an Environmental Code of Conduct for the Middle East was adopted as part of
the multilateral peace talks on the environment to help all parties work
together against the common threats to their quality of life and the
environment. The new spirit of determination which is accompanying the dawn
of peace may well ensure that the unique ecological values of this area of
the world - its wide diversity of flora and fauna, magnificent landscapes
and renowned heritage sites - will be protected not just for present
generations, but for the generations yet to come.